Customer Reviews

Instant Immersion Japanese 2 CD-ROM Set (Jewel Case)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The first CD has the feel of a demo of a program more than anything. If all you want to learn is some basic vocabulary than this will serve it's purpose but that's it. There are some phrases(real useless stuff like "is it safe to swim here?") but it doesn't even teach you the individual words and it gives you no grammer at all. You leave the first CD being able to identify colors and a few body parts and then it throws you into the second CD which is etirely in japanese and seems intended for somone who can at least carry on full conversations in japanese. The second CD also has no lessons; it has quizes(none of which are related to the material on the first disc) but doesn't teach you anything that they're quizing you on. You're just sitting there confused as they ask you questions about things you haven't learned in japanese that you don't understand. And if the program wasn't bad enough on it's own, the description of the item says that the discs come in a jewel case which they don't.

The cds do a great job of presenting dialogue situations, and has a useul list of vocab. The speakers are all native, so you hear the words just like they are said in Japan. The cd's are very helpful, and a great price! I would definetly recommend them!

The game-style format is great! I had loads of fun and before I knew it, I was learning a lot of vocabulary and answering simple to intermediate questions. It is very well-made and teaches you on a very instinctive level, something not always found in a formal classroom.
Most of my friends agreed with me, and they were learning Japanese, too , by just playing along (they didn't even mean to)!

I really enjoyed the CD set. It was very inexpensive, a lot of fun, and easy to use. You don't have to install it onto your computer, which makes it really easy to use on other people's computers or portables. The games and activities make it really easy to learn and is a lot of fun so you actually enjoy studying or learning. One thin I didn't like was that the difference in level between the 2 CD's. The first one is a very beginners one and the second is a little advanced. They kind of skip a level. But after a while of studying, I was able to understand it.

The first CD I kind of liked. That was when I was young and innocent. The entire program is a joke. The second CD teaches not a thing. I am disgusted, I hate Instant Immersion Products. Some how they always seem to mess something up. A word of advice DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!

I bought this set years go. The edition I own is a 4 CD set that includes Talk Now, World Talk, Human Japanese e-book, and JPQuickTrans. The problem I think people have is they are following the CDs in the wrong order, and I have no idea why World Talk is listed as CD 2.

1) Talk Now
This is a cute little simple CD for people who want to just get a feel for the language. It starts off teaching you very basic things such as colors, parts of the human body, food, countries, etc. After each learning session which is basically you clicking on a picture and hearing a native speaker pronounce it, there are extremely fun quizzes that test your retention on the material. With a point system that keeps you motivated and different games I found this CD to be very good at teaching the basics and keeping it light and fun. It also has speaking practice where you can either repeat after the native speaker while recording your voice or identify pictures and speak them into the microphone, kind of like a quiz where you speak the answer. However there is no voice recognition like Rosetta Stone obviously so don't expect it to tell you whether you are right but you can check your answers.

2) World Talk
This CD should be listed as 3 not 2, after Human Japanese. This is where I completely gave up on the program the first time I tried it. It is a completely illogical leap. The entire CD is in Japanese and it tosses you out in the middle of the ocean with no boat. There's a series of quizzes that have complex Japanese sentences that are impossible to understand unless...

3) Human Japanese
This is the shining gem of this software package. If it only came with this e-book it'd be worth the price alone and I sincerely mean that. This is where you learn how to read and write the kana (even animated pictures of stroke order!) as well as grammar and vocabulary. It is very interactive and allows you to click on words and conversations to hear it spoken in native Japanese to strengthen your listening skills. It's quite large, it covers mostly everything and does it in a very laid back and casual way. It does NOT read like a dry textbook which is what I love about it, and you can skip around to whichever lesson you wish. It also has flash card type memory quizzes to help you practice and retain what you've learned as well as multiple choice tests. I recommend this CD before even thinking about touching World Talk.

4) JPQuickTrans
I haven't really used this CD so I can't comment, but I imagine it's a nice tool to have when you're trying to read something and come across a word or phrase you don't recognize.

I give this set a 3 out of 5 mostly for Human Japanese. It is just that good. Unfortunately I don't think this set really delves into kanji, so if you are after full mastery of the language you will need to find something in addition to this to help with that. I am currently using Heisig's Remembering the Kanji which is an extremely helpful book on retaining the meaning of kanji and being able to recall them later.

This product is ok, but I would suggest getting the deluxe version instead. this one only teaches you a little bit.

The first cd was the perfect beginning, easy, educational, and even entertaining(i love alliteration!), the second on was very poorly made, it does not teach a thing, It could've been great, but it was boring.